A COLD can happen at any time of the year, but when the seasons are changing, it can seem like everyone you know has colds and sneezes.
If you do get one, you don’t need to see a GP unless: you have a very high fever and chills, your symptoms suddenly increase, you’ve been unwell for three weeks, you have chest pain or shortness of breath, or you have a medical condition existing or weakened immune system.
Otherwise, arm yourself with tissues, stay hydrated, rest, and you can take a decongestant if you have a stuffy nose and pain relievers if you feel sore.
And remember to get your flu jab, if you are eligible!
In the meantime, here’s what readers asked me this week…
WHAT DO I HAVE Suffered with itchy skin for years. No cream helps. Doctors say try this or that; nothing works.
He wakes me up at 2am and scratches my arms to pieces, to the point of bleeding. I think it’s the prickly heat from hot showers and central heating. The only way I can get relief is by immersing my arms in cold water or applying cold packs.
A Itching (pruritus, to give it the medical name) is a skin sensation that drives us to scratch. We develop itchiness to protect ourselves against parasites and insect bites, so it’s helpful, but it can become annoying, and at any one time around eight percent of the population suffers from significant itching.
The itching can occur with or without a rash, and in your case, it looks like you don’t have a rash. With long-standing symptoms, like yours, it’s important to get a blood test to see if there’s an underlying condition causing the itching.
If it’s been going on for a long time and you don’t think your GP can offer you more help, then you can ask them to refer you to a dermatologist, who might do a skin biopsy.
It is interesting that you say that it happens at night; eczema, psoriasis, and hives may be worse at night. Your GP should have advised you to use emollient moisturizers, which form a barrier and protect the skin and should be applied several times a day.
Ask your pharmacist about over-the-counter creams that contain crotamiton or lauromacrogols. Your doctor may prescribe other creams, such as doxepin cream, which has antihistamine action when applied as a cream.
Topical steroid treatments can treat skin inflammation and calm redness, and oral antihistamines taken daily may also help. There are some skin treatments that can only be given in the hospital, such as phototherapy, which is ultraviolet light therapy. If it’s prickly heat, there are also things you can do at home. Try patting instead of scratching the itch.
Wear natural fabrics if you can afford them – bamboo which will help wick away heat and sweat. Take warm, not hot, showers, avoid using soaps or foaming body washes, and keep a cool washcloth in the refrigerator with emollient cream to apply to your skin. during episodes of itching. Itching is not something you have to live with, so keep looking for a solution.
Q I HAVE missed a stone in the last month despite not changing my diet or exercising, should I see my GP?
A Yes, you should. a stone of weight accidentally lost in such a short period of time requires a medical investigation. Your GP will want to know if you have experienced any symptoms along with the weight loss and will also ask about your appetite, smoking and how you have been feeling emotionally.
It might be worth thinking about this and making a list of any other symptoms you may be carrying with you.
They will want to examine you and will likely recommend blood tests and perhaps some other tests based on your answers and the examination findings. Although it is not the only cause, cancer it can cause unexplained weight loss, so with weight loss as significant as you describe, it’s important to arrange to see your GP immediately, and definitely within two weeks.
Toe line on warts
Q MY child has warts on both feet, what can be done?
A wartsor plantar warts, are warts that occur on the soles of the feet.
They are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which infects the outer layer of the skin.
They are contracted by coming into direct contact with infected skin cells.
They are often painless and most warts will go away with time, but there are many over-the-counter remedies and your pharmacist can advise you on the best one. Treatments include salicylic acid or gel that removes the outer layer of dead skin and activates the immune system to attack the virus.
The outer layer is then filed away and the treatment is continued until the skin is clear (at least three months), so it is worth persisting if the wart is shrinking.
Cryotherapy freezes the wart and there are many foot clinics across the UK that offer the service, as well as some GP practices.
However, cryotherapy can be painful.
There is conflicting evidence about duct tape, but some parents use the tape to cover the wart for six days before soaking it and filing off dead skin, then reapplying the tape.
This can be done for two months and is successful in some cases.
If none of this has worked and the wart is causing pain or problems, then it’s time to see your GP.
Q I HAVE a white spot on my nose that has been there for over a year, should I be concerned?
A A number of conditions can cause white patches to form on the face, and they are usually nothing to worry about.
It’s also reassuring to know that it’s been there for a long time without significant growth or change.
White spots on the face, and on the nose in particular, can be milia, whiteheads, or sun spots. Milia usually appear as hard, raised bumps that are small in size, only one to two millimeters. They are caused by keratin getting trapped under the surface of the skin and are completely harmless.
Whiteheads are one of the types of spots that can be present in acne. Clogged pores are the main cause.
Sunspots are generally round, flat and between two and five millimeters. These are caused by too much UV light exposure, and while harmless, they can be an indication that your skin has sustained skin damage.
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